The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) licenses pesticide applicators who use restricted-use and state-limited-use pesticides and regulated herbicides.

Definitions

Commercial applicator: operates a business or is employed by a business that applies restricted-use or state-limited-use pesticides to the property of another person for hire or compensation.

Noncommercial applicator: is required to be licensed, but does not qualify as a commercial applicator.

Noncommercial political subdivision (NCPS): an applicator employed by a political subdivision of the state of Texas or a federal agency operating in Texas.

Applicator Business

A pesticide applicator business is a person who applies a state-limited-use or restricted-use pesticide or regulated herbicide to the land of another for compensation and who is a licensed commercial applicator; or employs at least one licensed commercial applicator.

An applicator business is a registration, not a license. However, the business must be registered with TDA and provide proof of liability financial responsibility in the amount of $100,000 property damage and $100,000 bodily injury per occurrence or a general aggregate at a minimum of $200,000 for each occurrence. Businesses must submit a Pesticide Applicator Business Registration form to TDA.

Each motor vehicle used by any applicator business that makes applications in the subcategory landscape maintenance of the lawn and ornamental pest control license use category, category 3(A) will prominently affix an applicator business vehicle identification decal issued and provided by the department on each motor vehicle used by an employee of the applicator business. Decals can be picked up at any TDA regional office.

NEW LICENSING AND CONVENIENCE TESTING PROCEDURES!

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has contracted with PSI Services (PSI) to administer exams for agricultural pesticide applicator licensing. This is the same vendor that administers exams for structural pest control licensing. PSI has been providing credentialing and testing services to state and federal agencies, private sector businesses and professional associations for over 65 years.

PSI will provide both excellent quality exam opportunities and a convenient schedule for pesticide applicators to test in 22 locations across the state. The schedule will provide more testing opportunities than previously offered. By outsourcing testing to a third-party vendor, the Department’s resources may be used in a more consistent and efficient manner.

You are required to take and pass the General Standards and at least one category exam to be issued a license. The aerial certification (category 9) does not count as a category.

If an applicator has a current license with the Department, they may go directly to the PSI website and either create a new account using their TDA account number or use their existing PSI account to log on and choose the category they want to add to their license. Commercial and Noncommercial applicators will pay $64.00 for each category exam they take. If the exam is failed, the cost for each retest is $64.

Licensed commercial, noncommercial and NCPS applicators are required to recertify every year by obtaining five continuing education credits; with one credit each from two of the following categories: laws and regulations, integrated pest management or drift minimization.

Change of Information

The Texas Administrative Code (rule 7.20) requires all licensees to notify the department within 30 days of any change in the information provided as part of the application for a license. Licensees must submit a change of information form that is signed. You can scan the signed form and email it to license.inquiry@TexasAgriculture.gov, faxed to 800-909-8534 or mail it to Texas Department of Agriculture, Licensing Division, P.O. Box 12847, Austin, TX 78711. This will ensure you receive licensing information from TDA.

Record Keeping

Commercial, noncommercial and NCPS applicators shall maintain records of all pesticide applications for a period of two years.

Information Required:

Date and time of application

Person for whom application was made

Location of land

Product name

EPA registration number

Rate of product per unit

Total volume applied per unit

Pest treated

Site treated

Total acres or volume of acre treated (e.g. acre, square feet, number of head)

Wind direction and velocity and air temperature

FAA "N" number of aerial equipment; ID number of other application equipment

Applicator name and license number and/or person making the application

Spray permit number for regulated herbicides applied in a regulated county